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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 23, 1977)
Battalion Vol. 71 No. 17 6 Pages Friday, September 23, 1977 College Station, Texas News Dept. 845-2611 Business Dept. 845-2611 louncil proposes iewer expansion By DARRELL LANFORD Battalion Staff College Station City Manager North irdell Thursday sent two sewer system oposals to Bryan officials, following that tys decision to terminate shared sewer rvices to College Station. One proposal sought Bryan’s possible e terest in creating or using an established 'ency to operate waste facilities for razos County. The Brazos River Authority has the abil- I to become the operating entity, or a iparate Municipal Utility District could developed to operate wastewater cilities in Brazos County, the report said, [cording to the report, Texas A&M also ould agree to participate because of ex- cted benefits of the system. In the other proposal, the council of- red to contribute $800,000 for the ex- msion of a Bryan sewage plant and to sume the cost of the Northgate line, | hich is estimated at $160,000. Under the proposal. College Station ould maintain the line within its city mits. The letter said Bryan would save about 100,000 and College Station would save cut $225,000 by this plan. This com- ires to an estimated $1,680,675 to solve e problems separately, according to a ty study. In other action, the council adopted an dinance that changes speed limits on niversity Drive. The varying speed iturda; nic Aitta ore bei the sea! •ase w« irmaiw del goal iundai e com ho gb two uni aif o a pul ast seas issedlli J limits along University now change less frequently than before. The action was taken following a Texas State Department of Highways and Public Transportation study that mapped the dif fering amounts of vehicular and pedestrian traffic along and across the street. Failure to follow the highway depart ment’s recommendations for highway speed limits would cause the city to accept liability if an accident occurred because of hazardous speed limits, said Elrey Ash, city engineer. Councilman Jim Dozier favored a standard speed limit throughout the high way, but other council members said driv ers would break a low standard speed limit. The council also authorized a study on ways to prohibit ready-mix concrete trucks from unnecessary travel on city streets. City streets, designed for a 36,000-pound limit, have been taking a pounding under the concrete trucks, some of which weigh about 75,000 pounds, fully loaded. The council proposed that a $15,000 bond be put on each truck, and that maps suggesting truck routes through the city be given to ready-mix companies. The council also got a glimpse at the new lime-green emergency stickers for telephones. About 40,000 stickers were ordered last month, and distribution should begin in October. Imprinted on the stickers is the emergency 911 number. ommittee considers ross-campus busing led But by an O walci islon li By MARTHA MANIORD joed i If you are tired of walking what seems emiles across campus, or just interested a cross-campus shuttle bus system, you in luck. Vicki Young, head of Ihe Stu nt Services Committee in Student Gov- Power failure hits South side —again By RUSTY CAWLEY Battalion Staff For the third time in three weeks, Col lege Station residents were left in the dark. But the problem that caused last night’s power failure was outside the city, not within. Forty per cent of the city, most of it along Hwy. 30 and in Southwood Valley, lost its power at 8:10 p.m., said George Ford, director of public works. And a spokesman with the College Station police said that power was out between College Station and Huntsville. Ford, City Manager North Bardell and a work crew waited out the power failure at the city’s substation. “There’s nothing we can do,” Ford said. “The problem is somewhere between Conroe and Navasota.” A Gulf States Utilities crew combed that area for three hours before it found the problem: a burned-down crossarm. Word that the cfossarm had been found reached Ford and Bardell around mid night. Power returned to the city at about 4 a.m. this morning. “The problem was that the trouble was outside the city,” Ford said. “When that happens, there’s not much we can do but wait.” Ford said the crew would test the sub station for internal problems before re turning power to the city. “WeTl want to do it gradually,” Ford said. ’We don’t expect any problems, but you never know.” College Station has experienced three failures since switching from Bryan Utilities to Gulf States. The first occurred Sept. 6 when the power substation shorted out. The next, a few days later, was the result of more problems at the substation. Ford emphasized that he and the city crew were helpless during last night’s fail ure. “This was something none of us here could have prevented, or done anything about after it happened,” Ford said. “It was a problem wiih the Gulf States sys tem.” Parking lot to dorm: police escort women Battalion photo by Jim Crawley given the committee’s decisions and make the final decision. Transportation Enterprises, Inc. will provide the shuttle service if a cross campus system is decided on, she added. The game’s thataway An unidentified “Red Raider” directed traffic in front of Cain Hall last night, pointing, perhaps, toward Lubbock and the Texas Tech football game this weekend. Informed sources said that the “Raider” was an A&M student in disguise. By GARY WELCH Women students walking to their dorms from parking areas at night may find them selves in a University Police car the last part of the trip. The pickup plan is part of a police policy to escort women when they can not find a parking place near their dorms. “They (women) will park in an outlying area and one of our patrols will pick them up and escort them back to their dorm,” said Toni Parsons, Director of Security and Traffic at Texas A&M University. Thursday night is usually the busiest for escorting because many women go out that night and return home late, said Uni versity Police Chief O.L. Luther. J aril iment, is forming a subcommittee to in stigate the matter. The committee is open to any student 10 is interested. Young said. Applica- ng(ieli ms are now available at the Student ivemment office on the second floor of e Memorial Student Center for anyone 10 wants one. The first meeting of the committee will ^Wednesday at 7:15 p.m. in room 350 of I MSC. Young said that last spring an ad hoc Immittee consisting of faculty and stu- Ints was set up to look into the need and Imand for a campus shuttle system. jThe results were forwarded to a steering Immittee consisting of John C. Calhoun, Kepresident for academic affairs; John J. Ildus, vice president for student serv es; and Howard L. Vestal, assistant vice lesident for business affairs. JThe steering committee summed up the tidings and made three basic recom- lendations: (1) a trial run for the campus luttle bus system should start in the ■ring semester of 1978, (2)Service should | considered to all parts of the campus, It just for the west campus, and (3) fund- |g should come from unallocated lokstore profits, student service fees, or |ombination of both (no individual serv- fee should be charged for use). The recommendations of the steering mmittee were forwarded to former uni- rsity president Jack K. Williams, who mded the matter over to the Student rvices Committee headed by Young. ‘When does human life begin?’ Abortion debate covers many views =ICE I T would like for this committee to have iblic hearings and be able to report our vision by Oct. 19,” she said. Young em- lasized her desire for student input. After consideration by the Student Serv- ss Committee, the administration will be J-boards responsible for disciplinary actions By LIZ NEWLIN Battalion Staff When does human life begin? Speakers Nellie Gray and Karen Mulhauser based their views on abortion on that central question in debate Thurs day night in Rudder Auditorium. Dr. David Mumford of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston moderated the program sponsored by the Great Issues Committee. Nellie Gray said just as a woman cannot be “a little bit pregnant,” she cannot be “a little bit killing” when it comes to the issue of abortion. She said life begins at concep tion. Gray, a Washington, D.C., lawyer, is president of March for Life and D.C. Right to Life Committee, both anti abortion organizations. Karen Mulhauser agreed with Gray it is wrong to kill children but said she is pro life, pro-woman and pro-choice. Mulhauser is executive director of Na tional Abortion Rights Action League and works in Washington, D.C., only a few blocks from Gray’s office. “Obviously, I don’t recognize a develop ing fetus as a child. It’s not a person,” Mulhauser said. “Terminating a pregnancy is a hideous killing against an innocent human being growing in a natural environment,” argued Gray. Gray said the “abortion mentality” de grades the human being so that fetuses can be defined as non-persons and killed. Mulhauser, advocating freedom to choose abortion, said imposing one’s moral and religious convictions to prohibit abor tions on other violates American principles and the concept of separation of church and state. Contraception, sex education, govern ment funding of abortion and abortion in cases of rape and congenital defects prompted vigorous debate and occasional cheers or hisses from the audience. Gray said the use of contraceptives con tributes to the logic which justifies abor tions. She said the logic that says ‘use con traceptives to prevent babies’ is the same logic that advocates abortions to prevent births. Responding, Mulhauser ques tioned the morality of forcing unwanted pregnancies on women. Mulhauser favored sex education in schools, as well as in the home, to end basic ignorance about sex and to prevent unwanted pregnamcies. Gray said sex education cannot be taught without in cluding some of the teacher’s personal opinion and that it should be left to the family. Recent federal government decisions restricting the use of Medicaid funds for abortions encouraged Gray and disap pointed Mulhauser. “I do not want my tax dollars to be used to kill babies,” said Gray. Her statement was followed by claps from the audience. Mulhauser called the recent decisions a step backward. “What is a right if you can’t pay for it?” she asked. The state can now decide to promote childbirth for poor wo men, she said. Mulhauser predicted an increase in il- Karen Mulhauser, pro-abortion, is executive director of National Abortion Rights Action League in Washington, D.C. legal abortions, citing the damage they cause to the physical and psychological health of the mother. Abortion in case of rape is justified, said Mulhauser, while Gray saw no difference in abortions after rape or other circum stances. Gray said a rapist can no longer receive the death penalty because the Supreme Court* has ruled it because constitutes cruel and unusual punishment. Nellie Gray, pro-life, anti-abor tionist, is president of March for Life and D.C. Right to Life Com mittee in Washington, D.C. “Should the child of a felon (rapist) be given the death penalty?” she asked, an swering “No.” Gray said congenital defects should not be a justification of abortion because the definition of what constitutes the right to live should not be based on diseases or deformities the fetus has. Mulhauser said the decision to termi nate the pregnancy of a deformed fetus should be a personal choice. By DAVID BOGGAN You are the host of a post-Midnight Yell actice hamburger fry in your dorm roon. uys and girls alike are enjoying the music ad the keg outside your door is a popular traction. At 2 a.m. someone knocks on your door, he head resident of your dorm enters id, after prematurely ending your party, ands you a summons to appear before the arm’s judicial board (j-board). This is a hypothetical and very unlikely tuation, but it involves three of the most )mmon violations of university regu- ttions: cooking restrictions, visitation ; igulations and alcohol, regulations. J-boards are composed of dorm resi- „ ents who are selected to the board by 3|| Srious methods, depending on the dorm. "™hey try residents accused of violating niversity regulations and prescribe unishment for those found guilty, hoards are the primary disciplinary tool Hr non-corps students at Texas A&M. “I think the j-board is necessary because each student has a right to be judged by other students who live in the same situa tion,” says Fred Bayler, j-board chairman in Moses Hall. “It gives the accused an opportunity to be judged by people who think the same as he does — his peers. “The j-board is supposed to provide a forum for understanding university regu lations and their application to the stu dents,” Bayler adds. David Newman, j-board chairman in Dunn Hall, feels the j-board is only as ef fective as its members make it. “If we don’t provide an example then our effectiveness is shot,” Newman says. “Peer judgment is a good thing. Without a j-board you have no peer judgment, and without an effective j-board you really don’t have a j-board.” Leadership and involvement are the reasons most often given for serving on the j-board. “Being on the j-board you’re a leader of the dorm and you have to uphold a certain image. You can’t be the disruptive type,” says Dav& Ferguson, chairman of Walton Hall’s j-board. “You’re a leader especially to freshmen. You’re trying to show them that having fun is all right but there is a limit. “It’s not that I enjoy punishing people, but I enjoy being involved in the dorm,” he adds. Glenna Witt, area coordinator for the north area, just arrived at Texas A&M from the University of Wisconsin where there were no j-boards. “The students at Wisconsin weren’t as interested as they are here,” she says. “Here students are more involved in the whole process; they are more involved in what their fellow students are doing.” Witt does not like the University of Wisconsin’s alternative to j-boards: arrest by off-campus authorities. “We sent three students to jail for pul ling fire alarms,” she says. “I personally didn’t like to have to do that because it’s always going to be on those kids’ records that they were arrested and convicted.” The punishments that a j-board can pre scribe are listed in the Texas A&M Uni versity Regulations. They range in sever ity from verbal reprimand to spending a weekend on campus to expulsion recom mendation. (Expulsion recommendation is rarely given and is always reviewed by the Office of Student Affairs.) “I feel that punishment should help the dorm, like getting quizzes for the quiz file, polishing the dorm signs, and making spirit signs, instead of walking to the police station and signing in, because who is that going to help?” says Linda Thompson, j-board member in Keathley Hall. Opinions about of the j-board vary among people who have been tried, con victed and punished by j-boards. “They treated me real fair. They went over the whole case and allowed me to have witnesses in the room,” says Russ Kellen, a Walton resident found guilty of possessibn of fireworks. He was required to sign in at the police station for one day. Others do not regard j-boards as highly. Jeff Asbill of Moses Hall was convicted of visitation violations. He had to spend a weekend on campus and forfeit visitation rights for two weekends. “It’s sort of like having a mother up here watching you,” Asbill says. “I think the punishment was a little too much for the crime.” “Discipline should be a learning tool,” says Ron Blatchley, associate director of student affairs. Action by Blatchley is the final step in the j-board appeals process; however, area coordinators handle most appeals cases. Blatchley also handles dis cipline for off-campus students who violate University regulations in a dorm. “We have patrolmen working in all these parking areas,” Luther said. “Some women go to a telephone and call our dis patcher, who contacts a patrol car to provide an escort.” A total of 151 women have been helped so far this fall. Part of the problem stems from a shortage of women’s parking spaces. “Lot 24 (south of Mosher Hall) is short of women’s spaces by about one row,’’Par sons said. “We will probably have to take a row of red sticker space (reserved for junior and senior men).” Some on-campus male students have re sorted to parking in the women’s spaces, but since women’s stickers are gray and easily distinguishable from the red and green of men’s stickers, that problem has been kept to a minimum. “I haven’t noticed much of it,” Parsons said. “We are really not giving many tick ets for that violation.” “It is my belief that part of the problem is that some men are having women regis ter their cars for them,” Parsons said. With a gray sticker a man can usually park closer to his dorm. According to University Police Depart ment records, approximately 1,212 cars are registered to women who live on cam pus, and 2,504 to on-campus men (not counting athletes in Cain Hall). There are 1,496 parking spaces available in Lots 1 and 24 combined. An additional 359 spaces are available for overflow traffic in Lot 49. “We sell parking registrations, not park ing permits,” Parsons said. “We require that all vehicles be registered, but the University does not guarantee (students) a parking space.” “The policy of the university is that we will give priority to women on parking spaces,” he said. Parents of two girl scouts sue for $3 million United Press International TULSA, Okla. — The parents of two Girl Scouts who were murdered at a camp last summer have filed a $3 million suit against the camp’s operators. The suit was filed Thursday by the par ents of Lori Lee Farmer, 8, and Doris De nise Milner, 10, both of Tulsa. The two girls and a third victim, Michelle Guse, 9, of Broken Arrow, Okla., were killed June 13 at Camp Scott near Locust Grove, Okla. A man charged with their deaths has not been apprehended. Dr. Charles Farmer and his wife Sharon filed suit in District Court seeking $1.5 million. Walter and Bettye Milner also are seeking $1.5 million. Mr. and Mrs. Richard Guse did not join in the suit. The suits contend the Magic Empire Council was negligent despite suspicious events preceding the murders. The three girls were sexually abused and murdered during the first night of what was to be a two-week camp session. The camp was closed the following morn ing and a massive effort, including a man hunt involving more than 600 volunteers, was started to find the killer — but it was unsuccessful. The lawsuits, filed by attorney Jack I. Gaither, said “almost no precautions were taken for the physical well-being” of the girls and Camp Scott “did not comply with standards for accreditation of the Ameri can Camping Association and the Girl Sc outs of America. ” The suits said the council failed “to exercise care and caution even though numerous events and occurrences it knew or should have known” would have motivated a camping operation to be ex tremely careful.